


What A Strange Being You Are

by PiningTsukkiEnthusiast



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Attempt at Humor, Canon-adjacent, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Getting Together, Light Angst, Love Confessions, Meddling, Nonbinary Kozume Kenma, Other, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, bc i don't know how else to explain it afkdjs, if you can call it that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-18 10:07:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28865268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PiningTsukkiEnthusiast/pseuds/PiningTsukkiEnthusiast
Summary: Kenma and Kei don't know who their soulmates are, but Kuroo has a hunch.Soulmates have been around, supposedly, forever. Not everyone had one, but it was never any sort of tragedy. They were usually the people who were aroace, or who wanted to commit to a religious position that meant they would never be allowed to fall in love with that. Really, the systemworks. It's a weird, indecipherable system. It's not always consistent between people, or even partners. But if you have a soulmate, you will find them, when the time is right.
Relationships: Kozume Kenma/Tsukishima Kei, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 60





	What A Strange Being You Are

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bitheby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bitheby/gifts).



> To my dearest partner, whom I adore! Sorry this fic took so long to write, but man, I am a bit of a perfectionist whenever I try to write Kenma, so I ended up getting _very_ hard on myself with the details. But here it is! Ahh!!
> 
> The title is from Dodie's _Sick of Losing Soulmates_ , which I couldn't stop listening to as I wrote the final third of this fic. Well, that alternated with Panic! At the Disco's _Always_ , which I think really sums up the mood of the fic. Anyways, take this, I hope you enjoy it! They're one of my favorite rare pairs, and it was awesome to get to write them again!!

Soulmates have been around, supposedly, forever. Not everyone had one, but it was never any sort of tragedy. They were usually the people who were aroace, or who wanted to commit to a religious position that meant they would never be allowed to fall in love with that. Really, the system _works_. It’s a weird, indecipherable system. It’s not always consistent between people, or even partners. But if you have a soulmate, you will find them, when the time is right.

Even if the time feels horribly wrong.

Like, Kuroo, for example. He loves the romance of soulmates, and always wanted to meet his. Especially since he was one of the few who didn’t have a mark already on him and had to wait until he met them.

And then he shook hands with Sawamura Daichi, and they were surrounded by this red-orange glow, and it didn’t fade the entire day. Which felt like being mocked by the gods at first, but…falling in love with Daichi was almost as easy as hating him.

Anyways, Kuroo knows he’s lucky. Not everyone meets their soulmate in high school, and even when they do, it’s not guaranteed they’ll figure it out for _years_. Soulmates are tricky business like that.

Which leads us to the problem at hand: Kozume Kenma. Kuroo’s oldest, dearest friend. Who will _literally_ bite him if he tries to ask them about their soulmark or soulmate.

Kenma has always had a soulmark. It’s above their left hip, a firefly. Sometimes, it glows. Neither of them have figured out the rhyme or reason to this glow, only that it happens and it used to embarrass Kenma but now they just find it kind of amusing.

But, you know. It’s a _firefly_. What the fuck does a firefly have to do with anything?

That, dear reader, that’s what Kuroo has figured out. Not to toot his own horn, or anything, but he’s pretty sure this makes him a genius, because he figured out what some of the most intuitive, observant people he knows couldn’t. All because that afternoon, they have Tsukishima Kei over for a study session.

“I hate this class,” Tsukki complains, because he’s a complainer, and Kuroo has learned it’s best not to comment on it. “I can’t wait for this semester to be done…then we’re free.”

Kenma snorts. “Yeah. As free as an adult in this society can be.”

“You two are so optimistic about life,” Kuroo deadpans, flipping through his textbook. He will not be free after this semester, which is, in his honest opinion, very homophobic. _Stupid grad school…_ He just _had_ to do more school, huh? Just to get a decent lab position…

He glances at whatever Tsukki is working on. It looks like just a study guide.

“Seriously? That’s what you’re complaining over? What it must be like to be young and not know real struggles.” Kuroo sighs and shakes his head. “Kids these days…don’t know how good they have it.”

Kei clicks his tongue and writes his name on top of the paper. “I don’t remember the part where I asked you, hag.”

Kenma stifles a laugh with their hand and flicks some eraser fuzz in Kuroo’s direction. “Yeah, Kuro, no one asked your crusty ass for an opinion.”

Kuroo clutches his chest in feigned offense. “I can’t believe this…no respect for your elders…for your _friends_ …”

“I respect Kenma-san plenty,” Kei counters with a smug look.

“You–” Before Kuroo can finish his thought, he trails off, looking at the name on Kei’s paper. “Is that how your name is written?” he asks.

“Yep,” Kei says in a flat tone, like he’s heard that question a million times.

Kenma has lost interest, and they’re absorbed back into their own studying. It’s a shame, really, because they’re the one who should be seeing this.

_蛍_

_Holy shit…firefly._

Kuroo doesn’t realize his mouth is hanging open until Tsukki reaches over to shut it for him. “Would you get back to work? It’s not that big a deal.”

“Right…yeah…” Kuroo makes a mental note to ask Tsukki about his soulmark later.

“None of your business,” is Kei’s flat response, which is a lot more pleasant than Kenma biting him, so Kuroo will take it.

“Come _on_ , you aren’t even a little curious about what it could mean? As someone who already _knows_ his soulmate, I’m a bit of an expert here, Tsukki-poo. You should let me see!”

Tsukki levels him with a glare. “Don’t call me that. And no. I don’t care about soulmates.”

“But you have one, right?”

“Yep.” Tsukki pushes food around his plate with disinterest. “Don’t care.”

“What– but how can you just _not care_?” Kuroo whines. “What’s your soulmark? Please? Let me help.” He gives his best puppy eyes. Kei remains unmoved.

“You don’t know anything about finding a soulmate, Kuroo-san,” Tsukki says. “The only reason you found Daichi-san is because of a handshake that lit you both up like oversized glowsticks. And what’s with the sudden interest, anyways? Finally tire of Kenma-san biting you every time you bring it up?”

“Do you know about Kenma’s soulmark?” Kuroo asks, feigning nonchalance.

“No, because unlike _some people_ , my parents raised me to understand that’s a rude thing to ask a person,” Tsukki snaps. “It’s none of your business. It’s mine, and so is what I do about it. And if I choose to do nothing because I’d rather my feelings not be influenced by the universe’s twisted pre-destiny bullshit, then so be it.”

That’s enough to shut Kuroo up for now. He’s just going to have to find…a more discreet method to bring this up.

Kuroo groans when he gets home and flops onto Daichi’s lap, who’s reading a book on the couch. He’s got his reading glasses on, and Kuroo wants to be distracted by how incredibly sexy he looks, but he just doesn’t have it in him right now.

“Hello to you too,” Daichi says, flipping a page and ruffling Kuroo’s hair. “Long day of classes?”

“Worse,” Kuroo mumbles into the couch cushion. “It’s a long story…but do you know what Tsukki’s soulmark is?”

Daichi pinches Kuroo’s arm lightly. “Tetsurou, that’s none of your business. Didn’t your mother ever tell you it’s rude to ask that sort of thing?”

Kuroo pops up to look Daichi in the eyes. “So, you _do_ know what it is, then?”

“Yes,” Daichi confirms before pushing Kuroo’s face back down into the couch. “And I’m not telling you, because he obviously doesn’t want you to know.”

“Daichi, I have to admit, this is not as sexy as when you hold me down in bed,” Kuroo complains, pushing back. “This is _important_. I think I know who his soulmate is.”

“No luck,” Daichi says. “He won’t care. Ever since Yamaguchi found his soulmate in their third year, Tsukishima has given up on the idea he’ll find his.”

“So…whatever it was, he thought it would be Yamaguchi?”

Daichi shrugs and flips a page.

“That is _just_ like him,” Kuroo sighs. “Always wanting the easy way out so he doesn’t have to put any effort into things…”

“Are we talking about the same Tsukishima?” Daichi laughs. “He’s an overachiever and you know it. He just finds emotions uncomfortable and difficult to understand. Honestly…he’s never even had a crush before.”

“But he has a soulmark?” Kuroo sits up and twists to plop his legs in Daichi’s lap. “Hah?”

“Some people are like that, you know,” Daichi points out. “He thinks he’s either demiromantic, or greyromantic. He doesn’t know which. And you were there when he came out,” Daichi adds with a flick to Kuroo’s forehead.

“I…” Kuroo frowns and thinks back. He vaguely remembers this. He’s pretty sure he was drunk off his ass, though. “Yeah…yeah.”

Daichi hums and flips another page. “And frankly, you shouldn’t try and meddle. The last time you did, you nearly ruined Bokuto’s chances with Suga.”

Kuroo pouts. “But I need to! This is important, Dai.” He leans in and rests his head on Daichi’s shoulder. “I think his soulmate is Kenma.”

Daichi freezes. _Finally, something got him paying attention._ “You think his _what_ is _who_?”

Kuroo grins. “Ah, so now he listens to me! Yes, I think Tsukki-poo and my little kitten are soulmates. As their senpai, it’s our _duty_ to help them realize this.”

“That’s definitely not what–”

“Shush.” He puts a finger over Daichi’s lips. “Kenma’s soulmark is that firefly, alright?”

“Tetsurou, I shouldn’t even _know_ about that–”

“ _Shush_.” Kuroo’s grin grows. “The kanji for Tsukki’s first name is the same one usually used for _Hotaru_. Firefly, Dai-chan.”

Daichi blinks as he processes. And then, “ _Holy shit_ , I can’t believe that you’re _right_.”

Kuroo preens. “So, do I get to know Tsukki’s soulmark now?”

“No.”

“Aw, Daichi, you’re no fun!”

Kei has all but forgotten his conversation with Kuroo about soulmates.

Kuroo isn’t the first nosy person to shove their nose in Kei’s business, and he surely won’t be the last. Since Kei has already made up his mind about soulmates, it’s pretty easy to forget.

He arrives to his dorm after his final class of the day and collapses onto his bed. _Ah, blessed comfort._ He closes his eyes, determined to soak in a couple moments of doing nothing before he inevitably has to do homework. Before he can get comfortable, though, he notices the corner of a book poking him in the side.

Kei frowns. He doesn’t _think_ that he left a book on his bed…

He sits up and feels around for the book. It’s tangled up in his blanket, which is just more suspicious. And then, he pulls it out, and sighs.

_The Official Guide to Finding Soulmates._

“Dammit, Kuroo,” Kei mutters under his breath. This is just a new low in nosiness.

Kei opens the book, scanning the chapter titles. _Of course_. There’s parts about the science and psychology of soulmates, parts about the romantic and the spiritual. A section for each type of soulmark, and what to do if you and your soulmate have different types of soulmate indicators.

Yeah. He’s read this one before.

It was junior high, and Yamaguchi had gotten _super_ into soulmates. He read all the books, and since Kei didn’t have anything better to do, he read them with Yamaguchi.

_“Oh! Tsukki, do you see! The section about having words on you! ‘If it’s on your forearm, these will be the first words that your soulmate ever says to you. If the words are over your heart, however, this will be the first thing they say to you when they fall in love with you.’ Isn’t that_ romantic _, Tsukki!”_

Kei hadn’t really cared, not then. _“I guess.”_

_“That’s the kind of soulmark I have!”_

_“Oh yeah? What’s it say?”_

_“I’m not telling you! That’s personal Tsukki!”_ But Yamaguchi had laughed anyways, like he knew Kei would ask something so rude.

_“I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.”_

_“Aw, now what’s the fun in that!”_

Kei slams the book shut as soon as he realizes there’s a bittersweet smile on his face. Yeah, it’s decided. He’s going to kill Kuroo.

He scrubs a hand over his face, rubbing his eyes under his glasses. There goes his moment of peace. Might as well just start on his stupid homework before he loses the motivation for anything.

“Has Kuroo always been a nosy piece of shit, or did something happen to make him think it was okay to give his unsolicited advice?” Kei asks Kenma while they’re hanging out later that week.

Kenma pauses their video game and looks up, blinking a few times. _They look like a cat who was just awoken from a nap_ , Kei muses.

After processing the question and mulling over a reply, Kenma presses play again.

“Always a nosy piece of shit,” they say with a nod.

“Good to know.” Kei goes back to his book – _not_ the book that Kuroo lent him, of course. No, this one is about something Kei _wants_ to think about. It’s about dinosaurs. Obviously.

Kenma snorts but they don’t say anything else, focused in on their game again.

It’s peaceful in Kenma’s apartment, more than in Kei’s shared dorm. Most people would probably find it strange, the way that Kei and Kenma hang out. They exist in the same room, in quiet, doing their own separate, quiet activities. Some may not even consider that _hanging out_.

Kei wouldn’t change a thing about it.

There’s so much pressure when people are involved, to talk and interact. It’s never like that with Kenma, which is very much appreciated. Kei used to think that the only person who would ever understand his strange social needs would be Yamaguchi, but Kenma more than understands; they _share_ those needs.

At first, he didn’t think they would get along very well. Kenma seemed not to like him very much, which is fair. Most people don’t like Kei. He could feel the way Kenma’s catlike stare would cut into the very core of his being, picking him apart and analyzing him. It was intimidating as hell, until Yamaguchi pointed out that Kei kind of did the exact same thing.

With that in mind, Kei decided that maybe he should say something to Kenma. The rest, as they say, is history.

Existing quietly when alone, making fun of Kuroo when he’s there with them. Snarky comments in overwhelming group settings to diffuse tension. A friendship that was just as likely as it was unlikely.

Kenma curses under their breath as their tapping at their game gets more intense, and Kei smiles a little. He gives it five minutes before Kenma defeats whatever game boss has them frustrated.

Later, after Tsukishima leaves, Kenma hears their door get unlocked. Kuroo calls a greeting, and they pause their game.

“What did you do?” they call back, arms crossed.

Kuroo pauses in the doorway to the living room, blinking. “You know, I could’ve been a _burglar_ , Kenma. What if I was one of your crazy fans come to kidnap you?”

“Burglars don’t have keys, or call out _tadaima_ upon entry,” Kenma says dismissively. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything! I swear it was Bokuto’s idea! Also, what are you talking about!”

Kenma rolls their eyes and huffs a laugh. “Blaming Bokuto-san before you even know what I’m accusing you of. I don’t think that he can be held responsible for this one.”

Kuroo sits beside them and looks at them curiously. “Alright, I’ll bite. What did I supposedly do?”

“I don’t know,” Kenma says, “but you did _something_ to Tsukishima. He asked me if you had always been a nosy piece of shit.”

“Oh, you know our Tsukki, always saying things–”

“I told him that you had been, yes. And then we went back to what we were doing, because I’m _not_ a nosy piece of shit. So, Kuro, care to fill me in?”

“Isn’t asking me even worse than asking him?” Kuroo asks, tapping his chin. “I mean, now it’s basically just gossiping–”

“Kuro.”

Kuroo grimaces. “It wasn’t anything! I was just asking him about his soulmate, alright!”

Kenma narrows their eyes. “You never _just_ ask about soulmates,” they say, analyzing his face. “What else?”

“…I asked him what his soulmark was.”

“ _Kuro_.”

“And then I may or may not have slipped him a copy of _The Official Guide of Finding Soulmates_.”

“Kuro.” Kenma pinches the bridge of their nose. “What’s got you fixated on Tsukishima’s soulmate now?”

“Curiosity! And a desire for my friends to be happy.” Kuroo places a hand over his heart like he’s pledging his sincerity. “He wouldn’t tell me much, but I do know that he _has_ a soulmark!”

“So what? I have a soulmark, and I’m not interested in my soulmate.” Kenma starts to reach for their game controller, but Kuroo places his hand over theirs.

“That’s actually why I’m here.”

Kenma frowns. “I can and will bite you, Kuro.”

“I know! But just hear me out!”

“No.”

Kuroo sets the book in question on the coffee table. “Look. I know you don’t care. But if you decide that you _do_ , this book could be helpful!”

“These books are full of crap, and you know it.”

“But–”

Kenma sighs. “I know you think that everyone wants what you and Daichi have, but some of us are okay without our soulmates.”

“What if you could be even better _with_ your soulmate?” Kuroo challenges.

“Then I will literally never know what I’m missing. I’m not going to mourn over a hypothetical loss.”

Kuroo nods and picks the book back up. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be stupid. You were overdue to bug me about this. Do you want to play?” Kenma reaches for their controller, as well as a second.

Kuroo smiles. “Actually, yeah. Yeah, let’s play.”

Kenma sits with Tsukishima for lunch the next day.

“Sorry that Kuro bugged you about your soulmate. He gets like that.” They poke at their food with their chopsticks. “Usually, when he’s just so disgustingly in love with Daichi that he wants _everyone_ to be that disgustingly in love.”

Tsukishima clicks his tongue. “I don’t really care. The book was a little too far, given he set it on my bed, but I don’t care.”

“I can kick his ass for you,” Kenma says seriously.

Tsukishima laughs, and then stops, looking at Kenma quizzically. “You’re dead serious, aren’t you?”

Kenma nods, and Tsukishima’s smile grows. Kenma has always been a little fascinated with how different Tsukishima’s smile is when it’s genuine, not condescending or a borderline sneer.

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” he assures them. “I may not have your level of expertise in being pestered by Kuroo, but I think I can hold my own.”

“Alright. If you change your mind, just say the word.” Kenma turns to their food and begins to eat, signifying the end of their conversation.

Tsukishima, as ever, doesn’t seem bothered by that. He just turns to his own meal, scrolling through something on his phone.

Kei doesn’t think that he wants to know why Kuroo invited him to dinner and told him to “wear something nice.” Especially not after the soulmate meddling. It’s obvious that Kuroo is trying to pull something, the conniving bastard, but Kei cannot for the life of him figure out what.

However, this doesn’t stop him from putting on a decent pair of black jeans and a clean, ironed button-down with a navy blue blazer. As apathetic as he likes to come across, Kei’s curiosity is insatiable. He needs to know things, _especially_ if it has something to do with him.

So, here he is, looking at a tie and wondering if that’s _too_ nice. He doesn’t want to make Kuroo suspicious with his compliance, after all. The only reason Kei is going to go is to try and figure him out. And that’s _it_.

There’s a knock on his door, and he decides against the tie.

“Just a second,” he calls, pocketing his phone and a pair of earbuds.

Kei opens the door to find Daichi standing there, which…hm. Okay, well, it’s not like he expected this would be a one-on-one nice dinner with Kuroo, so that’s fine.

“Hey, Daichi-san,” Kei says, turning to close and lock the door. “I don’t suppose you’re going to tell me what the hell your boyfriend is up to?”

Daichi shakes his head with an apologetic smile. “But if it’s any consolation, I told him to just leave you alone.”

“My hero,” Kei deadpans. He puts his hands in his pockets and starts walking down the hall. “Well, whatever. He said he’s paying for dinner, so here I am.”

Daichi laughs. “Yeah, well. I’d tell you to show mercy on his wallet, but I know you’re not the sort to eat a whole feast in one sitting.”

“My desire to make others suffer might just fill me with a one-time-only bought of motivation and appetite,” Kei snorts.

They reach Kuroo’s car out front, and the closer they get, Kei realizes that Kenma is in the back. Hm. Okay. Maybe this is just supposed to be friends going out to dinner to celebrate the end of a long, tiring semester.

Maybe.

Or maybe, Kuroo is buttering both Kei _and_ Kenma up for something that neither of them are going to enjoy. Yeah, that’s _much_ more likely.

Kei opens the door to the backseat – the side where Kenma isn’t sitting – and slides in next to them.

“Hey,” he says as he pulls on his seatbelt. Once Daichi is in the passenger’s seat, Kuroo starts the car.

Kenma glances up from their game, only briefly. “Hey.”

Kei doesn’t expect any more than that. The mere fact they’re all going somewhere for dinner isn’t exactly up either of their alleys, but Kenma’s even less so. Kei wonders what Kuroo said to get them to come.

It takes a second too long to realize that Kenma’s nerves may be more than just being in public, but _how_ they’re going to be in public. They’re wearing a black sweater with a floral skirt that’s slit up the side. Kei doesn’t know how he missed that when he first looked at them, but now that he’s seen it, he can’t _un_ -notice it.

But it’s rude to stare, and that would just make Kenma uncomfortable, so he pulls out his phone and earbuds. He just hopes no one notices that there’s a little heat in his cheeks, because come on. That’s the last thing he needs right now.

It’s not like Kei has never seen a person and thought, _hm, yeah, they’re cute_ , but these people usually aren’t his close friends. Apparently, Kenma in a skirt is all it takes to turn Kei’s brain to mush. Their hair being down for the first time in a while doesn’t help, of course.

Kei is just about to put in his earbuds, when he feels Kenma looking at him. He glances over at them, seeing the telltale sign that they want to say something, but the words aren’t quite there yet. That’s fine. He can wait. It just gives him an excuse to realize that Kenma is also wearing shimmery lip gloss. Actually…Kei isn’t sure if this is a pro. Yeah. His heart won’t chill out.

“You look like a Chad,” Kenma finally says, lips quirking up in amusement.

Any and all thoughts stop dead as Kei gapes at them, processing what he’s fairly sure was an insult. Not like, a mean insult. It’s not like Kenma called him _ugly_. But god, looking like a _Chad_ is a far cry from the way Kei thinks Kenma looks like some kind of ethereal being that exists beyond the flawed human concept of gender–

Um. Wait. No. Kei doesn’t think that. He has not thought that. That’s not. This isn’t.

…Oh, shut up about it.

“Yeah, well, you look…” Kei frowns. He can’t think of a comeback, because Kenma looks good. A frustrated blush paints his cheeks, and he looks away. “Whatever.”

Kenma laughs quietly, and the sound of their game starts up again. “Thanks.”

Kuroo snorts at them, so Kei puts his earbuds in and pretends like that wasn’t embarrassing.

Luckily, the drive isn’t very long. Despite Kuroo insisting that they all “dress nice”, it looks like more of a family-style restaurant than something classy. He parks the car and everyone gets out, following him inside.

“Not to get all _adult-content_ here, but I made a reservation,” Kuroo tells them with an unnecessary eyebrow waggle.

Daichi laughs and rolls his eyes, Kenma pretends they didn’t hear. Kei decides that following Kenma’s example is best.

“So, do we get to know why you’re dragging us out instead of letting us take the mandatory post-exams coma?” Kei asks, pocketing his phone and earbuds once more.

“Do I need an excuse to treat my friends and boyfriend to a nice dinner after we all worked so hard this term?” Kuroo challenges.

Kei narrows his eyes. Answering a question with a question…that’s not a good sign. But he doesn’t want to start interrogating him in front of the hostess who’s ready to take them to their table, so Kei says nothing more.

Daichi and Kuroo sit next to each other, so Kei sits beside Kenma on the other side of the booth. All in all, it’s a pretty standard seating arrangement. Something about that fact just unsettles him more. It’s like Kuroo is trying _too hard_ to make this seem totally comfortable and normal. After all his meddling the last couple of weeks…

Nope. This can only mean bad news.

“Would you stop looking at me like I brought you here to poison you to death?” Kuroo laughs and picks up his menu. “Honestly, what have I ever done to make you this suspicious of me?”

“Literally every single thing you’ve ever done since we met six years ago,” Kei deadpans.

Which, okay, maybe that’s a little harsh. Sometimes, Kuroo has been truly a good friend. But other times? His meddlesome attempts to “help” come across as antagonistic and provocative, and those interactions leave Kei irate for days. And he just has this _feeling_ that whatever’s about to happen is going to fall into the latter category.

“Alright, Tsukki-poo, if you say so.” Kuroo is familiar enough with Kei’s sharp tongue that he doesn’t seem to take it to heart.

Kei rolls his eyes and glances over at Kenma. Kenma seems to have already decided on what they want, because they’ve got their game back out to play. It makes Kei wish he brought something better than his phone, because the atmosphere is making him a little fidgety too.

When their waiter arrives, everyone orders something. Kenma points to what they want, and Kei tells it to the waiter for them. Usually, that task falls on Kuroo’s shoulders, but lately, Kei has been Kenma’s voice in the face of social anxiety more and more often. He doesn’t mind– it’s kind of nice to know that Kenma trusts him enough to do that.

The waiter leaves, and the uncomfortable quiet settles over the table again.

“Do you remember when me and Daichi found out we were soulmates?” Kuroo interjects suddenly, and oh great. Here comes the dread.

“We were all there,” Kei drawls.

“When we shook hands, this red and orange light encapsuled us. And we were so mad, because we were rivals! Plus, Daichi was a real jackass.”

“You were the jackass,” Daichi corrects, with a disgustingly fond smile.

“But the universe said we were soulmates, so we reluctantly exchanged numbers.”

“If you were so reluctant, then why did you stare at your phone the entire bus ride back to Tokyo waiting for him to text you,” Kenma says without looking up.

“Alright, alright,” Kuroo mumbles. “But our rivalry turned into friendship, and it didn’t take much for us to realize the universe was right. This is the only man for me! Now, not everyone’s soulmate indicators are so flashy, and I know it’s harder for people who just have some vague mark to go off of–”

“Stop,” Kei interrupts. “We’re not doing this. I don’t care who my soulmate is, I’m not looking for them, and I definitely am not going to tell you my soulmark.”

“Tsukki, it’s more than _just_ –”

Kenma stands abruptly. “Kuro, you can’t just lure us out into a public setting to try and make us talk about our soulmarks.”

“But if you guys would just listen to–”

Kei shakes his head and stands with Kenma. “Let’s get out of here,” he says.

“Fine by me,” Kenma mutters, following him out.

They only make it about a block before Kenma curses under their breath.

“What’s wrong?” Tsukishima asks, stopping in his tracks. “Did you forget something?”

“Yeah. I forgot they’re our ride,” Kenma mutters. They _really_ don’t want to walk all the way back to campus. “Assholes.”

Tsukishima hums in agreement, looking back in the direction of the restaurant. “Well, I don’t know about you, but I don’t really want to look at them right now.”

“Me neither,” Kenma sighs. They look around until their eyes land on a bench. Perfect. They walk over to sit down, smoothing their skirt out.

Tsukishima sits next to them, hands fidgeting in his lap. “So, now what?”

Kenma shrugs, staring at the pavement. “I dunno.”

“Does Kuroo bother you about your soulmate a lot?”

Kenma thinks about that. “Well… not really. Not anymore. It was just recently that he started all this up again.”

Right around the time that he started bothering Tsukishima, now that Kenma thinks about it. Which is just weird. He’s clearly on some matchmaker bullshit, but Kenma has told him countless times that they neither want nor need his help.

“When we were little, I did want to know what my soulmark meant,” Kenma continues quietly. “I think when Kuro found Daichi, he thought that maybe I would start to want that again.”

Tsukishima nods, his hands settling a bit as he leans back. “I used to care too, until it just became too exhausting.”

Kenma nods. “Yeah.”

Tsukishima looks at them, but Kenma doesn’t look up to meet his eye. They’re pretty sure that they know what’s coming.

“What changed your mind? About soulmates, that is.”

They shrug again, closing in on themself a bit. “Even when we think we’ve figured it out, sometimes we read the signs wrong. So, what’s the point of looking, if you’re just going to be screwed over?”

Tsukishima doesn’t say anything, doesn’t look away. Sometimes, it’s unnerving when he does that, but right now, Kenma feels like they might start telling him…more.

So, they do.

“My parents went to a matchmaker to help them find their soulmate, and the matchmaker brought them to each other,” they start. “And they were young, and thought they were in love, so they got married within a month. And when I was really young, they used to tell that story to me like a fairytale. I thought that meeting my soulmate would be some life-changing experience, like theirs.”

“That sounds nice,” Tsukishima observes.

“Doesn’t it though? Almost too good to be true?”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.” Kenma looks over at him. “The matchmaker made a mistake. Things just started to fall apart. The chemistry, the spark, it faded. Their entire relationship was built on the illusion that they were soulmates, and when they realized they weren’t, there was nothing left. So, they got divorced. And that’s when I decided soulmarks are bullshit and there’s no point reading into it.”

“That…makes my reason sound incredibly pathetic,” Tsukishima says, laughing quietly.

“Why? What turned you off to soulmates?”

Tsukishima smiles bitterly and turns his gaze away, staring across the street. “Ah, it’s stupid. But ever since junior high, I thought that my soulmate was going to be Yamaguchi. And then, even worse, I fell in love with him.”

“Oh, shit.”

“But his soulmate was Ennoshita, and I was crushed, and I decided that I didn’t want to fall in love just to be wrong again.” Tsukishima sighs. “Like I said, it’s pathetic.”

Kenma shakes their head. “I don’t think so. Did you ever tell him how you felt?”

“No. I was waiting for some big, soulmate reveal moment. And then, when it never came, I accepted that I had to get over it. So, I did.”

“Oh.”

Tsukishima rests his hand over his right shoulder, and Kenma assumes that’s where his soulmark is. They’re naturally curious about what it is, but they know better than to ask. They wouldn’t appreciate being asked themself, after all.

“Why do you think Kuroo is so pushy?” Tsukishima asks. “He doesn’t know what my mark is, unless Daichi told him. It’s not like he could have an idea of who it is.”

Kenma’s brow furrows. Kuroo _does_ know what their soulmark is, but… No. There’s no way that he’s got a lead. He’s way too meddlesome. He’d just tell Kenma if he thought he knew who their soulmate was, especially knowing how crushed they were the last time–

“I don’t know,” Kenma says helplessly. “You’d think that over a decade would clue me into what goes on in his head, but I don’t know.”

Silence falls over them, and they sit there for at least ten more minutes.

“I know a nice bakery,” Tsukishima says, breaking the quiet. “I brought money with me, just in case something like this happened.”

Kenma looks up at him. “Oh.”

“There’s good strawberry shortcake,” he continues, tapping his fingers on his leg. “And apple pie, I think.”

And well, that’s enough for Kenma to be sold.

“Is it close?”

Tsukishima nods.

“Lead the way.”

It’s only around the corner from where they’re sitting, and Tsukishima’s right, it is nice. Kenma follows him inside and stands behind him as he orders for both of them.

“Thanks,” they tell him.

“It’s nothing.”

“I can pay you back for the pie.”

Tsukishima shakes his head. “No, you don’t have to do that.”

Kenma frowns, but they don’t argue. They’re too exhausted from the events of the last half hour to argue.

Tsukishima leads them to a table in the far back, somewhere they can enjoy their desserts in peace. The quiet isn’t exactly _un_ comfortable, but it lacks the comfort that time alone with Tsukishima usually brings. Maybe it’s just because they’re still shaken up from the situation at the restaurant, overwhelmed by the topic of soulmates.

Kenma isn’t sure.

They consider telling Tsukishima why they don’t think he’s lame for giving up on soulmates after Yamaguchi. It’s definitely something that resonates with them. Of course, there’s the fear that he’ll think it’s ridiculous– not because of _what_ , so much as _who_.

Kenma thought their soulmate was Hinata, once.

It was the second training camp that Karasuno had gone to in Tokyo, and one night, Kenma and Hinata were sitting outside.

Kenma doesn’t remember what Hinata was talking about, but it was probably volleyball. They could have listened to him talk for hours. The cicadas were singing, and Hinata was talking, and he was bright as the sun. And…there were fireflies.

All around him, twinkling like stars on earth, or some sentimental crap like that. And one landed on Hinata’s nose, and he went cross-eyed looking at it, before it flew away. And he giggled, and for a second, Kenma thought that they knew.

_“Shouyou…what do you think about soulmates?”_

Hinata had hummed and thought about it. _“I guess I think sometimes they’re strange! But the universe seems to have a handle on things from what I can tell.”_

_“Yeah.”_ Kenma couldn’t bear to look at him, too nervous. This was the first time they’d ever thought about confessing. _“Do you…know anything about your soulmate?”_

Hinata beamed at them, and as much as Kenma’s heart sped up, it also shattered. Because they just _knew_ how this ended.

_“Yeah! I was really freaked out at first, because I mean, it was Kageyama. Gross! But we worked through it, and even though we’re not dating or anything, we agreed that we’re connected because of our rivalry. And we’ve become good friends too! So, I guess in a way, that’s kind of true love, right? It would be hard to compete with volleyball for either of us though.”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“Do you know who yours is?”_

Kenma had just shook their head and watched the fireflies fly around. _“No. No, I don’t think I do.”_

That led to one of the first times they’d ever spoken to Tsukishima, now that they think about it. They’d run into him on their way back to Nekoma’s room, and they ended up sitting together quietly for an hour or so.

Kenma thinks that Tsukishima could tell something was bothering them, but he wasn’t nosy enough to press. It was a pretty accurate precedent to set for the rest of their friendship.

They realize they’ve been looking at Tsukishima for a moment too long, and their eyes snap back down to their half-eaten pie.

They grimace. This can’t be a good sign.

Kei doesn’t blame Kenma for any of this, but talking about soulmates with them has brought up thoughts in their mind once again.

It sucks.

But he won’t blame Kenma. He’d much, much rather blame Kuroo for dragging all this up, for making him need to confide in someone. For the fact he should probably talk to Yamaguchi about what happened when they were kids, even if the feelings are long gone. For the fact that he can’t get the image of Kenma in the car out of his head, for how gorgeous they’d looked.

Why hadn’t he ever really thought about that before?

Kei pulls up his shirt in front of the mirror, looking at the strawberry shortcake on his lower abdomen. He’s starting to worry that his soulmate might actually _be_ strawberry shortcake.

He needs to talk to Yamaguchi.

It’s a little too late at night when Kei arrives at Yamaguchi’s and Ennoshita’s place, but it’s not like this is the first time. Yamaguchi opens the door before he even knocks, tilting his head curiously.

“Come in, Tsukki!” he says, holding the door open wider. “Everything alright?”

The last time that Kei had shown up this late, this frazzled, he’d heard that Akiteru was in the hospital after a car accident. Everything had been minor, and it was okay, but he’d needed Yamaguchi to be his voice of reason. This isn’t that big, isn’t that scary, but he still needs Yamaguchi.

“Yes,” he answers, then, “no. Maybe? I don’t know.”

Yamaguchi hums and shuts the door. “Well, Chika’s still out with his study group, so speak freely. What’s going on?”

Kei walks to the living room, Yamaguchi close behind, and turns to face him. He opens his mouth, but no words seem to come to him. Of course. Well, there’s always the backup plan.

He pulls up his shirt, just enough to show the strawberry shortcake resting on his stomach.

“I know you never showed me yours, but I thought I’d show you mine anyways,” he starts, giving Yamaguchi a moment to process.

Yamaguchi blinks, nods, and looks back up to Kei’s face. “Is this your way of saying you want to find your soulmate?”

Kei shakes his head, lowers his shirt back down. “Not really. I just– Yamaguchi. I need to talk to you, and it is about soulmates, kind of.”

“Tsukki, you’re kinda freaking me out!” Yamaguchi laughs. “I’m sure whatever it is, it’s alright. You can tell me anything!”

Kei nods. “I know. I should’ve told you this ages ago, and there’s no reason to tell you now other than the fact that I need you to know.”

“Okay?”

“I was in love with you when we were kids,” Kei says, jumping right into the difficult part. “And…I thought that you were going to be my soulmate.”

“Oh, Tsukki…” Yamaguchi sits on the couch, gaping up at Kei with wide eyes. “I had no idea.”

Kei scrubs a hand over his face, nods again. “Yeah, well. How could you have known, it’s not like I jumped to confess. You don’t have to feel bad, and I got over it in our third year, but I also… I figured, if my soulmate isn’t you, it isn’t anyone.”

There’s a look in Yamaguchi’s eyes that Kei can’t fully decipher, but it’s understanding and warm, and that’s all he needs to continue.

“I like someone. For the first time since you, actually, and I don’t know how I didn’t realize I like them sooner, but I realized, and I’m losing my mind over it.” Kei sits down next to Yamaguchi, head in his hands.

“Whoa,” Yamaguchi breathes. “That’s… you like someone, wow.”

“I know. Very difficult to believe. I don’t know if they’re my soulmate, and I don’t even know how to go _about_ knowing that,” Kei says helplessly. “They don’t care about soulmates, don’t want to find theirs, so why would they want me?”

Yamaguchi rests his hand on Kei’s back, solid and warm, grounding. “Tsukki, you’re being dramatic,” he coos. “If they don’t care about soulmates, then that’s perfect! That means it doesn’t matter if they’re your soulmate or not, all that matters is if they like you.”

Kei frowns. That’s so…stupidly simple. Kageyama could’ve thought of that solution. How did it never even once cross Kei’s mind?

“Oh.”

Yamaguchi giggles and pats Kei’s back a little harder. “Yeah, _oh_. So, is that what’s got you worked up? Is there anything else you need?”

Kei melts forward, groans into his knees. “I’m an idiot. Don’t tell anyone that I said that.”

“Aww, don’t worry Tsukki! Anyone who knows you will already know anyways.”

“Shut up, Yamaguchi.”

“Sorry, Tsukki!”

“Like hell you are.”

There’s a beat of silence, then Yamaguchi readjusts besides Kei. “You were really in love with me when we were kids?”

Kei looks up and nods slowly.

Yamaguchi laughs and shakes his head. “I was in love with you too, you know? You should’ve said something.”

“It wouldn’t have made us soulmates, Yamaguchi,” Kei points out.

“Maybe not,” Yamaguchi agrees, “but I wish you’d told me sooner.”

“Having regrets?”

“Of course not!” Yamaguchi waves his hands frantically. “You know that I love Chikara; he’s my everything. I don’t regret or doubt a single moment with him.”

Kei hums. “Then, what?”

“I just wish you could have experienced the worst part of love, so that it wouldn’t be so scary to think about letting someone be your everything again, I guess,” Yamaguchi muses. “But also, maybe we would’ve been soulmates. I mean, who’s to say that it’s set in stone? Maybe we lead our marks, and not the other way around.”

“It’s Kenma,” Kei blurts out.

Yamaguchi’s jaw drops. “It’s– Kozume Kenma? Cute as a button? Really?”

Kei nods, his cheeks warming up. “That’s the one, and shut up about it.”

Yamaguchi just beams at him. “I’m really happy for you, Tsukki. You should tell them.”

Kenma plays video games with Hinata for five hours straight, and they hardly say a single word. It’s okay, Hinata has never had a problem with carrying the conversation for the both of them, and thank god for that.

But once the fifth hour is up, Hinata needs a break for his eyes, and he knows something’s wrong. Of course he does.

“Hey, Kenma?” Hinata starts, nudging them lightly. “You’ve barely said anything today. Are you doing okay?”

Kenma groans and face plants into Hinata’s shoulder, shaking their head _no_.

“You wanna talk about it?”

Kenma shakes their head again, and Hinata runs a hand through their hair. He quickly cringes and pulls back when he gets stuck in a knot.

“Is it feelings?”

Kenma nods.

“Bad feelings?”

“That depends,” Kenma mumbles, voice muffled in the fabric of Hinata’s hoodie. “Kuro’s been bugging me about soulmates, and I don’t want to think about it.”

“But you’re thinking about it?” Hinata guesses. He nudges Kenma gently, so Kenma finally looks up at him. “Is there someone you think it could be?”

Kenma shakes their head firmly. “That’s just the issue. I might have some slightly… romantic-adjacent feelings for someone. A someone who is decidedly uninterested in soulmates.”

“Sure, but so are you,” Hinata states. “Isn’t that kinda… perfect?”

Kenma purses their lips, a frown pulling at their brows. “I don’t want to be wrong again, Shouyou.”

“Again?” Hinata tilts his head, innocently curious. “Kenma, did you have your heart broken before? I never knew! That’s so hard! I don’t know what I would do if–!”

“Shouyou,” Kenma interrupts, their expression softening. “It wasn’t serious. I jumped to a conclusion, that’s all.”

Hinata hums. “Well, that’s hard to recover from!” he sympathizes. “But if it’s causing you stress, you should talk to them about it! Just confess, like ripping off a bandage!”

Kenma grimaces. They do _not_ rip off bandages, they pull slowly and meticulously, so that it doesn’t pull on their little arm hairs and sting like a bitch.

“Besides, if you like them, then they can’t be a terrible person, right? So, if they’re worth liking, then they’re worth confessing to. And even if they don’t feel the same, they’ll let you down nicely, right?”

“It’s…Tsukishima,” Kenma says carefully.

Hinata chokes on air, hands flailing as he tries to compose himself. Yeah. That’s kind of the reaction that Kenma expected.

“You like– but it’s– _Stingyshima_?! He’s so mean! And heartless! And cruel! Kenma! You deserve so much better than him! I hope he’s not your soulmate! Uh– no offense,” he tags on quickly.

Kenma can’t help but laugh. Hinata’s overreaction does something to relieve the tension from their shoulders, to melt some of the stress away.

“Shouyou, he’s not heartless. And he’s not mean to _me_ ,” they add smugly. “Actually, maybe that’s where I should start. If he’s nicer to me than other people, that should be a good sign…”

Hinata pulls a face, doing an awful job with looking pleased. “Well… I don’t like him! I do, because he’s my friend, but I don’t, because he’s Tsukishima! You know how it is!”

“I do.”

“But you deserve to be happy! And if that salty string bean bastard would make you happy, then I say go for it! And if he rejects you, let me at him!” Hinata squares up to the imaginary Tsukishima with a couple of feigned punches.

Kenma shakes their head fondly. “Alright. Shouyou, I don’t think I’m going to confess to him. Not for any of the reasons that you said, but because… I don’t think Tsukishima wants anyone like that. Besides, it just…doesn’t make sense. There’s a chance this isn’t a real crush. It could just be overthinking because Kuro has been pushing the soulmate thing again.”

Hinata hums and taps his chin in thought. “Well, maybe that’s who you need to talk to! If your feelings just go back to Kuroo-san, then there’s clearly something the two of you need to talk about before you can start with Stinkieshima.”

“Stinkieshima?”

“I know what I said.”

“Kuro,” Kenma calls, using their key to get into Kuroo’s and Daichi’s place. “If you’re on Sawamura, get off of him, we need to talk.”

There’s the distinct sound of Kuroo choking on nothing and Daichi laughing, so Kenma assumes that they didn’t interrupt anything. That’s good. That would’ve been gross.

“Kenma, show a little tact!” Kuroo calls back. “Why do you sound like you’re about to break up with me, but it’s not me, it’s you?”

Kenma clicks their tongue and makes their way into the living room. They sit next to Daichi instead of Kuroo, just to be a brat.

“Relax. I’ll do better than that when I dump you,” they tease.

Daichi smiles at them. “Should I leave, Kenma?”

Kenma shrugs. “Your house, your call. Kuro will tell you anyways.”

“I’ll give you the illusion of privacy,” Daichi jokes, standing up. “I’ll be in the other room, alright?”

Kuroo scoots closer to Kenma, teasing amusement melting into concern. “Seriously, is everything okay, Kenma? Should I be groveling for something?”

“I’d have told you if you did anything wrong,” Kenma says.

“I’m just making sure,” Kuroo sighs. “I haven’t heard much from you since the dinner incident.”

Kenma groans and sinks down. “That’s… I’ve decided I’m not mad about that.”

“Oh?”

“I mean, I’m livid. But not with you. Just with…” Kenma gestures at the air, because they don’t even know.

“Sure, sure. So…what is it?”

“I need to know, Kuro. Why are you pushing me for soulmate stuff again? It’s been years since you last talked about this stuff with me, so why _now_? Am I imagining things, or do you have a lead? I have to know, because I think I’m in love with someone, and if he’s not my soulmate, I–”

Kuroo covers Kenma’s hands with his own, a sheepish smile on his face.

“Kenma… Have you ever seen Tsukishima’s name written out in kanji? The full thing, I mean.”

Kenma blinks at him, incredulous. Who said anything about Tsukishima? Does Kuroo know? _How_ could he know? Is it years of friendship that make him able to just read Kenma like a book, or–?

“No… Why?”

Kuroo pulls out a piece of paper. It looks like Tsukishima’s most recent chemistry lab report that Kuroo was proofing. Kuroo taps the top right corner for Kenma to look at.

And… wait, what?

“This says _Tsukishima Hotaru_ ,” Kenma says bluntly, because they know that character can be used for _Kei_ , but if it– no. That’s not…

“It says _Tsukishima Kei_ ,” Kuroo argues. “I think Tsukki knows how to write his own name.”

Kenma stares at it, at that little symbol that means _firefly_. They think about the firefly that has been on their left hip since they were a kid, its cryptic meanings that they’ve failed to decode.

And Kenma thinks of the night with the fireflies, when it was Tsukishima who had found them. Thinks of how he’d laughed in good-humor, because their hoodie had a strawberry shortcake on it, but it was Kuroo’s hoodie, and… What’s Tsukishima’s soulmark?

Is Tsukishima…?

Kuroo smiles at them and squeezes their hands. “Go get him, Kenma.”

Kei and Kenma are playing video games, and Kei is acting like nothing has happened. He’s not about to ruin a normal Saturday afternoon with his feelings.

Kenma, however, is planning to confess to everything. They want to approach the subject cautiously, make sure that Kei knows he doesn’t have to feel the same.

“You’re off your game, Kenma,” Kei notes as he laps them in Mario Kart. “I’d ask if it’s a lack of sleep, but god knows you _don’t_ sleep, so is something bothering you?”

“No,” Kenma lies, “I thought I’d go easy on you for the first round. Revel in my mercy, Tsukishima-kun.”

Kei snorts. “Yeah, like hell. You don’t know how to show mercy.”

Kenma gives him a face before turning it up a notch, quickly gaining ground on him. They’re not going to lose after _that_.

“Asshole,” Kei mutters, leaning forward as he gets in the zone.

It’s getting close, too close for how much Kenma was lagging before, and they resort to elbowing each other as Kenma barely beats Kei to the finish line.

“You cheated,” Kei declares. “I don’t know how, but you cheated. Let me see your remote. There’s something wrong with mine, we’re switching.”

“What? I would never sabotage your remote,” Kenma gasps, feigning offense. “Besides, I don’t have to. You just suck.”

“You suck,” Kei shoots back, because he’s mature like that.

“Even on my most distracted days, I can kick your ass.”

“Switch remotes with me!” Kei laughs, grabbing for the remote in Kenma’s hand.

It’s a bad decision, he realizes, because his hand just grabs Kenma’s. They’ve got the remote in their other hand now, and Kei is just…holding their hand. Staring at the joined hands and incapable of looking away, heat rising to his cheeks because apparently hand-holding is embarrassing.

He finally rips his gaze away to look up at Kenma’s eyes, and they look equally startled. The controller falls out of their hand onto the couch, and they blink at Kei like a deer caught in headlights.

In Kenma’s mind, this was going to go smoothly. They’d kick Kei’s ass in three rounds of Mario Kart, pause for snacks and discussion, confess, resume Mario Kart. It’s only one round in, and Kenma does _not_ think this is smoothly.

It gets less smooth when they blurt out, “You’re my soulmate!” and then go even redder than poor Kei.

Kenma pulls away their hand and their eyes, staring at the floor. Whoops.

“I’m– you’re– hang on, what?” Kei asks, sounding winded.

Kenma wrings their hands for a moment, fidgeting. “I think we might be soulmates,” they amend. “I uh, I saw your name in kanji for the first time, and…”

It’s now or never, they suppose. Kenma turns on the couch and lifts the bottom of their hoodie, revealing the little firefly on their hip.

“It…I like you, and it makes sense.”

Kei feels like his lungs just got popped like balloons, but in a good way. Can that be in a good way? This is all a little overwhelming. He shows the strawberry shortcake on his abdomen, and he still doesn’t know what it means.

Kenma hides a laugh behind their hand. “Oh.”

“What?”

“Do you remember the hoodie I wore when we first met?” they ask. “The pink one? It’s Kuroo’s, but it–”

“Had a strawberry shortcake on it, yeah,” Kei breathes. “I made fun of you because it looked ridiculous. I like you.”

Kenma nods, feeling a little bolder. “Since when?”

“I don’t really know, but I realized at the café, when we were…”

“Eating dessert,” Kenma finishes, shaking their head. “Soulmarks are bullshit, and this is stupid.”

“Yeah,” Kei agrees, laughing in disbelief. “Yeah, this is stupid.”

“Tsukishima, do you want to be my boyfriend?”

Kei nods. “Yeah, I do. Do you mind if you’re my soulmate?”

Kenma looks him over, pretends to think about it. “Well… I _guess_ … We just won’t tell anyone how bad you suck at Mario Kart.”

“ _You_ suck– that’s it, we’re switching remotes, give me yours,” Kei insists, trying to climb over Kenma to their remote.

“No! You have to earn the Player One controller, and until then, you have to just face the fact that you suck!”

“I’m going to win this round, just give me your remote.”

“No!”

“Because you’re cheating!”

Kenma laughs, louder than Kei has ever heard them before. He’s transfixed by it, just a little. _Huh. They’re my soulmate._

Kenma punches him in the arm, and he squawks in surprise.

“You were thinking something gay,” Kenma reasons. “Tell you what, you can put new batteries in your remote, if it makes you feel better. And then, I’m going to kick your ass again.”

Kei huffs and stands up. “As if I should trust your batteries, but fine. Where are they?”

“TV stand.”

“Got it.” Kei pulls them out and shoots a friendly glare back at Kenma. “You’re going down, Kenma.”

“You wish, _Kei_.”

And if that leaves Kei floundering for the rest of their next match, all because Kenma used his given name, well. No one has to know that.

**Author's Note:**

> > _What a strange being you are_   
>  _God knows where I'd be if you hadn't found me_   
>  _Sitting all alone in the dark._   
> 
> 
> Thank you for reading this!! Follow me on [Twitter](https://www.twitter.com/lovingyachi) and [Tumblr](https://www.acesamateurart.tumblr.com) and scream with me about anime and other shit! Oh, and if you're interested, there's a [Haikyuu x Daiya no Ace RP server](https://discord.gg/tX9teBUVAU) over on Discord! If you're 16 or older, feel free to join us, either as a character or as a spectator!


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